Judith Marshall

My Writing Journey

admin — Fri, 30 Jul 2010 16:16:53 +0000

Check out my interview on All Things Girl.

Looking for Endorsements for Your Book?

admin — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 18:56:51 +0000

If you’re struggling to find someone with the right credentials to provide a blurb for your back cover, or you’d like a well-known author to give your novel an endorsement, you might try submitting a request on HARO or ProfNet. Your request may be disallowed by the gatekeepers of these sites, but it’s worth a try.

New Video Tool on Google

admin — Sun, 25 Jul 2010 19:53:48 +0000

Creating a video can be intimidating for some people, including me! But now there’s a viable solution. Recently, Google launched a new feature called the “Search Stories Video Creator.” In 3 quick steps, users can produce a fun video that is available upon completion to upload to YouTube for sharing. All you have to do is enter 7 search terms and choose what kind of search Google will perform for each term – web search, maps, images etc. – then you pick from a set of soundtracks and that’s it! You can change your search terms and soundtrack before uploading the video to YouTube. The whole process only takes a few minutes and the tool automatically uploads your video to YouTube when you’re ready (obviously you have to have a YouTube or Google account to be able to upload the video). You can summarize the plot of your book, describe your writing journey, or tell a personal story. Here’s the link. If you try it, let me know what you think.

Win a Copy of My Book

admin — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 19:13:25 +0000

Husbands May Come and Go but Friends are Forever is sponsoring this week’s Just Write Blog. See a summary and review of the book, and enter to win a copy here.

eBook vs. Hardcover

admin — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 19:48:01 +0000

Well, it’s finally happened. The tipping point for book sales on Amazon. Here’s a quote from Jeff Bezos, CEO of Amazon. “Amazon.com customers now purchase more Kindle books than hardcover books–astonishing when you consider that they been selling hardcover books for 15 years, and Kindle books for 33 months.” You can read the entire article here.

Who Do You Write Like?

admin — Sun, 18 Jul 2010 18:00:40 +0000

This is fun! The recently launched I Write Like checks which writer you write like by analyzing your word choice and writing style and comparing them with those of the famous writers. I pasted the first few paragraphs of Husbands May Come and Go but Friends are Forever, and it turns out that I write like Stephen King. Who knew? On the website, you can subscribe to a free newsletter to help you write better (who writes better than Stephen King?) and receive monthly tips on writing. Give it a try and let me know who you write like.

New Way to Register a Copyright

admin — Thu, 15 Jul 2010 21:12:49 +0000

When I received the option agreement for my novel, I was required to provide proof of my registering the book with the U.S. Copyright Office. I was happy to learn that this could be done online at www.copyright.gov.

The advantages include:
Lower filing fee of $35 for a basic claim (the fee is $65 for filing paper forms)
Fastest processing time
Online status tracking
Secure payment by credit or debit card, electronic check, or
Copyright Office deposit account
The ability to upload certain categories of deposits directly into eCO
as electronic files

The Art of Writing Description

admin — Wed, 07 Jul 2010 18:25:19 +0000

When I read, I find myself skimming over lengthy description. That’s why I never liked reading Michener. Description is usually boring. But sometimes you have to describe a person, place, or thing. So how do you know if your descriptions work? Some experts contend that the easiest way to detect a new writer is to look for the overuse, or misuse of adjectives and adverbs. Also, it can be demeaning to the reader when the writer fills in every last detail for her. It assumes she has no imagination of her own. In fiction, it’s important that description advances the story; that it creates an emotional response for the reader. There are a million ways to write description. As writers, our challenge is to find fresh ways to describe people, places, or things that not only reflect the tone of the story, but also keep our readers engaged and curious. That’s description that works.

Cool Twitter Tool

admin — Sun, 04 Jul 2010 17:36:07 +0000

If you’re wondering who’s Twittering about you, wonder no longer. TweetBeep is a service that will alert you anytime your name, book title, product, or company is mentioned or Tweeted about!

A Neckchain That Doubles as a Book Hanger

admin — Thu, 01 Jul 2010 21:59:47 +0000

Tired of forgetting your book at the dentist’s office? Turn it into a book necklace. Or, if you’re an author, what better way to promote your book than to wear it around your neck? I’ve seen T-shirts with book covers printed on them, so why not wear the actual book instead? I believe that every author who’s trying to sell a book needs to stand out. Here’s one way to make a statement. Check it out here.